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Crooked Still — Sometimes In This Country
Album: Some Strange Country
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1328









Released: 2010
Length: 3:54
Plays (last 30 days): 2
(no lyrics available)
Comments (71)add comment
 Solanus wrote:

I love Sixteen Horsepower and their use of accordion & banjo. I refer to their sound as Appalachian goth.

I think these lyrics are correct:

Sometimes I'm in this country
Sometimes I'm in this town
Sometimes a thought comes to my mind
That I, myself will drown
But the cold streams of water
My body can't receive
I'm going to some strange country
My darling for to leave

The night seems long and weary, son
Almost the break of day
The night seems long and weary, son
Almost the break of day
I'm listening for your answer
Tell me what to say
I'm listening for your answer
At the dawning of the day

I'll take you for your answer
And for myself abide
I'll take you for your answer
And for myself abide
You say you've got a new sweetheart
And I'm laid aside
Farewell, false-hearted lover
I'm young, the world is wide
I'm young, the world is wide
(The world is wide)

Sometimes I'm in this country
Sometimes I'm in this town
Sometimes a thought comes to my mind
That I, myself will drown
But the cold streams of water
My body can't receive
I'm going to some strange country
My darling for to leave
More! 

8
 Grammarcop wrote:

I'm not very stylish, but apparently banjo is the new black.

i'm not stylish and usually prefer black

 the_jake wrote:

This group has quite excellent musicianship, but is missing the Chris Thiele mandolin playing of Nickle Creek.
But I too can hear the similarities.


Have you seen/heard "I'm With Her?"  It's Aoife O'Donovan of Crooked Still & Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek and Sarah Jarosz making some amazing music together.  Really great live, too.
Aoife O'Donovan is simply an incredible musician with a lovely voice. I love the time she is spending with Chris on Live From Here.
 Solanus wrote:

I love Sixteen Horsepower and their use of accordion & banjo. I refer to their sound as Appalachian goth.
 

I've got to look that one up.  Sounds very unique.
 alux wrote:

Banjo and fiddle?  Sign me up!!
 
Banjo, fiddle, bass, and a second fiddle track in some parts.
 msymmes wrote:
Another "Born to Run" sound-alike.
 
Huh?
Another "Born to Run" sound-alike.
 walkerpub wrote:
Sometimes I live in the country, 
Sometimes I live in town, 
Sometimes I take a great notion 
To jump in the river and drown. 

Goodnight Irene, by Leadbelly
 
They list the song credits as "Trad. arr. Crooked Still" on this album.  Apparently the song existed in some form (as early as the 1880s) before Leadbelly had performed or recorded it, and made it his own.
 WonderLizard wrote:

What's interesting is that acoustic ensembles, especially those with fiddle and banjo, have been making a resurgence. I credit stars like Bela Fleck, Alison Brown, and Alison Krauss with not so much resurrecting, but reinvigorating forgotten instrumentation with a new life, sensibility even. Fiddles and banjos are forever associated with bluegrass and hillbilly music. They've adapted to new and different songwriting styles, IMHO, with style and panache.

I would be remiss to mention the new mandolin players like David Grisman, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, and Sam Bush. And the dobro players like Jerry Douglas and Mike Auldridge.

So, older and in a sense pigeon-holed instrumentation has found a new audience by co-opting and adapting. This is what I love about music making—it's eternal ability to reinvent genres and idioms, to find novel and exciting ways to express itself.

 
I love Sixteen Horsepower and their use of accordion & banjo. I refer to their sound as Appalachian goth.
 shutter wrote:
A bit Nickel Creek-ish, perhaps?

 
This group has quite excellent musicianship, but is missing the Chris Thiele mandolin playing of Nickle Creek.
But I too can hear the similarities.
 walkerpub wrote:
Sometimes I live in the country, 
Sometimes I live in town, 
Sometimes I take a great notion 
To jump in the river and drown. 

Goodnight Irene, by Leadbelly
 
Yes, also used as the intro to Ken Kesey's epic novel "Sometimes A Great Notion".
A must-read, by the way.
Sometimes I live in the country, 
Sometimes I live in town, 
Sometimes I take a great notion 
To jump in the river and drown. 

Goodnight Irene, by Leadbelly

 
 Hannio wrote:
Hmmm.  A square-rigged ketch with furled sails.  Being driven into the breakers by an on-shore wind, and no wonder since it has no fore-and-aft sails to point with.  Already starting to founder by the looks of the stern.  Looks pretty grim.  A gaff or Bermuda rig would have been more prudent.
 
Informative and concise - thank you.
Never heard an improvising country cello before - wonderful, even sounded authentic, like it fitted the music.
Shawn Colvin-ish.
Banjo and fiddle? Great voice!! 
Oh, yes. 
Still more Crooked Still please.
More Crooked Still, please!
I am such a sucker for anything that sounds like this.
not bad!
 Grammarcop wrote:
I'm not very stylish, but apparently banjo is the new black.

 
What's interesting is that acoustic ensembles, especially those with fiddle and banjo, have been making a resurgence. I credit stars like Bela Fleck, Alison Brown, and Alison Krauss with not so much resurrecting, but reinvigorating forgotten instrumentation with a new life, sensibility even. Fiddles and banjos are forever associated with bluegrass and hillbilly music. They've adapted to new and different songwriting styles, IMHO, with style and panache.

I would be remiss to mention the new mandolin players like David Grisman, Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, and Sam Bush. And the dobro players like Jerry Douglas and Mike Auldridge.

So, older and in a sense pigeon-holed instrumentation has found a new audience by co-opting and adapting. This is what I love about music making—it's eternal ability to reinvent genres and idioms, to find novel and exciting ways to express itself.
I'm not very stylish, but apparently banjo is the new black.
 shplody wrote:
A banjo and a fiddle. No more please.

 
I don't normally go in for anything having to do with a banjo, but this track has a lot of appeal.
 shplody wrote:
A banjo and a fiddle. No more please.
 
Banjo and fiddle?  Sign me up!!
 TerryS wrote:
Just spent the weekend at a Festival celebrating ethnic diversity (isn't that redundant?) and would that the general standard had been this good.
 
...I guess it's not redundant if there were another festival celebrating "ethnic uniformity".  Anyhow, nice tune.
Just spent the weekend at a Festival celebrating ethnic diversity (isn't that redundant?) and would that the general standard had been this good.
A banjo and a fiddle. No more please.
 nmcvaugh wrote:
Suzanne Vega, Nickle Creek, Wailin' Jennys? I'm hearing Hem myself - especially in the fiddles.

 
Same here...very Hem-ish to me. It's a good thing.
Sigh, Ok Bill you found another banjo/fiddle band I have to check out.........
Amazon here I come. 
This really is excellent, I must Check it out!{#Yell}  Changing To an 8
Interestingly since RP2 was unveiled with its magical ability to avoid the office streaming audio filter (flash?)  I now hardly ever  talk to my colleagues and my productivity has gone up (even with occasional pause to listen). Still this commenting stuff can be a tad distracting.

Roguewarer wrote:
Damn You, Bill! Stop playing songs that make me stop what I'm doing and go check out who the hell is singing/who this group is/note to buy this music!!! I HAVE WORK I REALLY MUST.... oh, wait... now there's a toe-tapper right there....
...nevermind...
 

Damn You, Bill! Stop playing songs that make me stop what I'm doing and go check out who the hell is singing/who this group is/note to buy this music!!! I HAVE WORK I REALLY MUST.... oh, wait... now there's a toe-tapper right there....
...nevermind...


Very nice
Call me crazy - I'm not sure the comparison is valid, given that the vocalist is female, but for some strange reason this song reminds me of Richard Buckner.
Good tune.
 Hannio wrote:


Past boats have been a J24, Nacra 5.7, Hobie 16.  I don't have a boat at present.  If Lake Travis ever fills back up I'd like to get something with some character, like a Flicka, but I'm not too old to appreciate the thrill of a tall rig, open transom boat like a T 30 (I assume you're referring to a Thompson and not a Tartan or Ticon). 
 

Tartan 30.  Sail out of Charleston.  Or rather, I pay slip rental in Charleston.
 SinisterDexter wrote:

Yes, you'll get a Strange Brew.
 
And a wicked hangover

 More_Cowbell wrote:
Can anything bad happen if your still is crooked?
 
Yes, you'll get a Strange Brew.
Can anything bad happen if your still is crooked?
great little tune.
 Geecheeboy wrote:


Apparently she slipped her moorings.  No one on deck? Looks like a pitiful situation.  What do you sail Hannio? T30 here.
 

Past boats have been a J24, Nacra 5.7, Hobie 16.  I don't have a boat at present.  If Lake Travis ever fills back up I'd like to get something with some character, like a Flicka, but I'm not too old to appreciate the thrill of a tall rig, open transom boat like a T 30 (I assume you're referring to a Thompson and not a Tartan or Ticon). 


Better in person - their presence is, well, present.
Nice picking on the banjo, i hope it´s a banjo :)
Fan-freaking-tastic. :)
You say you've got a new sweetheart and I am laid aside
Farewell false-hearted lover, I'm young, the world is wide

narcotic!

{#Notworthy} 
Quite likable.
Suzanne Vega, Nickle Creek, Wailin' Jennys? I'm hearing Hem myself - especially in the fiddles.

Really like this!
Greg Liszt is the Larry Carlton of banjo pickers! Very inventive.

 Jelani wrote:
Does this voice sound like Suzanne Vega, or is it just me?
Has a "Calypso" vibe to it.
 
 

 shutter wrote:
A bit Nickel Creek-ish, perhaps?
 
I was thinking of the Wailin' Jennys myself...
 Jelani wrote:
Does this voice sound like Suzanne Vega, or is it just me?
Has a "Calypso" vibe to it. 
 
Vaguely, I suppose - but I wouldn't have thought of it otherwise.
A bit Nickel Creek-ish, perhaps?
Bumped from an 8 > 9.
Violins - YES, Fiddles - NO!!
Does this voice sound like Suzanne Vega, or is it just me?
Has a "Calypso" vibe to it.
 
 Hannio wrote:
Hmmm.  A square-rigged ketch with furled sails.  Being driven into the breakers by an on-shore wind, and no wonder since it has no fore-and-aft sails to point with.  Already starting to founder by the looks of the stern.  Looks pretty grim.  A gaff or Bermuda rig would have been more prudent.

 

Apparently she slipped her moorings.  No one on deck? Looks like a pitiful situation.  What do you sail Hannio? T30 here.
I can feel my beard growing just listening to this.
Hmmm.  A square-rigged ketch with furled sails.  Being driven into the breakers by an on-shore wind, and no wonder since it has no fore-and-aft sails to point with.  Already starting to founder by the looks of the stern.  Looks pretty grim.  A gaff or Bermuda rig would have been more prudent.

Far removed from this

Well said! 
 
Baby_M wrote:
Very pretty.  That Crooked Still you got there is producing some damned fine audio moonshine.
 


A play on some Leadbelly lyrics.
Pretty Good > Quite Likeable

Very pretty.  That Crooked Still you got there is producing some damned fine audio moonshine.
Caught my attention, love the banjo, made me think of the Audreys. This is a cool 8.
Sounds a little bit like the Wailin' Jennys...